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She laughed softly.
“What’s so funny?”
“Not funny ha-ha. I think hysteria might be setting in. That was amazing.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Next time we can hurry.”
“I might just be over the hurry thing.”
“We’ll see.”
“Is that a promise, deputy?” She hoped so. Her theory that acting on the attraction would make it go away had just been blasted to bits. Bakr might be a crazy bastard, but she couldn’t be unhappy he’d driven them to this moment.
Except now, if Bakr hurt Carson, it would hurt her that much more. Her heart was engaged now, not just her hormones or her basic need to protect people from monsters like Bakr. She didn’t know if this was love—wouldn’t know how to cope if it was. But it was strange how feelings worked, how they morphed and changed the perspective, the purpose. She wondered if this is how it had been for Ross and Rick.
“Already back to business?” Carson tickled her hip bone again. “I must have missed a spot.”
“You didn’t miss anything. And I wasn’t just thinking about business.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Maybe.” She kept her gaze on the fire. “Situations like this make people think differently.”
“Sexual situations?”
“Well, that too, but I was thinking about the case.”
“I knew it.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Your idea of a leak. Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s what we want to see because we’re tired of being cornered. Last month, working Allie’s case, Ross suspected you of working for Allie’s enemies at one point.”
“How did he reach that conclusion?”
She felt his body go rigid, and not in the good way. “You can’t take it personally. He would have suspected Mrs. Jackson if she’d said a questionable word.” She chuckled. “Knowing him, he probably did.”
“I get that. Kind of. He and Allie were inseparable back in the day, whether they were in the same room together or not.”
“Meaning?”
“It was just all over them.” He sighed, rolled to his back. “They were friends and they were careful, since her daddy didn’t approve. It was obvious to everyone else that they belonged together.”
She’d seen it too, almost from the moment they’d picked up Allie’s case. “I worried about him,” she confessed.
“It worked out.”
“It did.” She stretched up, rubbing his nose with hers. “Allie broke down his walls.”
“Hmm.” He smoothed her hair behind her ears. “I think it was inevitable. He walled the memory of her in there with him when he left Haleswood.”
“That’s a weird way to put it.” But she understood it. She’d have to build a wall around these special days with Carson when the time came for her to leave town.
Chapter 18
ReachingFlorence,Bakrpulledover and checked his phone for messages, eager for word of a successful attack. He’d already drafted another text for the queen about her useless, sacrificial pawns. His advantage was growing.
But the new email notice was from another source. The message consisted of nothing more than a question mark and a photo attachment.
He scrolled down for the thumbnail image and experienced his first moment of doubt since he’d put his plan in motion.
